As a Christian preacher I hope that some of my words might be helpful but I remember an occasion at this time of year.
There was someone there that Sunday for the first time, after the service when chatting to someone from the church he told them he had been confused by what I had just said.
Later I was told what he had said, “The church I was at last Sunday told me I was a sinner, this Sunday I’ve been told I am a saint; I’m confused.”
It was a Sunday near the beginning of November, and near All Saints’ Day, which is the first day of the month.
On that day we give thanks to God for all those Christians from the past and seek inspiration from their example.
That year, I explained how the word ‘saint’ is a normal description used in the New Testament for a believer in Christ.
To be a saint is to be a recipient of God’s undeserved mercy and not one who has done certain things.
As a saint’s lifestyle is, of course, important so the Apostle Paul writes, ‘greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among saints’ (Ephesians 5:3).
As Christians we rejoice that our new life is Christ is for us a free gift, it cannot be earned by us and we never deserve it.
Thankfully we are saints not living a good life but by being recipients of God’s free gift of salvation; by saying, ‘I can’t help myself, please help me.’
I have been encouraged and inspired by some of the saints who have helped me on my Christian journey
Hopefully my confused listener may now realise that like us all, although a sinner he may also be one of God’s saints.
The Revd Robert Barthram is the minister of the Reading Group of the United Reformed Church, writing on behalf of Churches Together in Reading
